Maggots in sheath YUCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK

G

Gemsie

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 June 2001
Messages
288
Location
South Lincs
Visit site
Hi All,

My elderly chap has just had his fortnightly willy wash - and I noticed on the cloth I used to clean it a few small maggots.

I feel completely sick, poor old lad - he was really fidgety when I was cleaning it, but then he always is.

I am now really paranoid that there are loads in there further up than he will let me clean - have given it a good clean and put some hibiscrub in there - but he is very shy and holds his bits up as far as poss to avoid proper cleaning.

My question is would you call the vet NOW and have him sedated for a proper wash of all his bits - or wait and clean it again tomorrow and see if any more crawlies are in there?

God I feel sick!

I have never seen any crawlies near his bits before - he is really well cared for and not neglected.....

What would you do?

Gem
 
For me i would get the vet to have a look, as maggots eat skin and he may need some anti-botics or something, depending on how bad it is. But yuck, yuck, yuck
 
OMG! I had no idea this was even a possibility- gross, you poor thing I think i would have chucked!
I cant wash my geldings he kicks madly if i try- it has been done under sedation but even then not well as i felt i was risking my life (he really doesn't like it) now i'm worried.

I would check tomorrow and if you see anymore maybe call your vet and ask them their opinion?

Eeewwww i'm all shivery inside now!
 
I would definitely get the vet to sedate and give it a good clean and make sure nothing going on high up inside.

This could be quite traumatic for the horse unsedated as there is a lot of sensitive skin going on there particularly as there is already discomfort going on

:-)
 
Cue close inspection of my boy tonight. Have never heard of maggots in sheath before, that is gross. Imagine if you hadn't noticed... Would def get vet to check it out.
 
I'm pretty sure maggots only eat rotten flesh not healthy tissue. They use them in medicine to clean festering wounds after all.......yuck!!

Maggots being in there would definately concern me. I guess the flies have gotten in there. I would definately get the vet out to have a look under sedation.

Out of interest why do you do it every fortnight?? Unless there's a problem I never touch their bits - and every vet I've asked about this 'subject' has agreed with me.
 
I am guessing that maybe your old boy isn't getting it out completely when urinating. I really wouldn't want to leave neat hibi up there I dont think that is going to help. I would prob give the vet a call and see what he wants to do about it.


suzysparkle maggots will I think eat dead tissue preferentially but will soon move onto healthy tissue which is why sheep/rabbits get blowfly strike which I guess is essentially what this gelding has.
 
I agree that really it is not something that should be done often and not with any perfumed so called "sheath Cleaners"

I just wipe around the edge of the sheath with clean warm water and when it's fly season I just apply a layer of Barrier Fly repellant cream around the outside of the area to hopefully put off the flies. The actually Willy itself, I don't touch unless it is hanging out and there is an obvious cling on! lol
 
McNally said:
OMG! I had no idea this was even a possibility- gross,
Click to expand...

It's not uncommon - my vet sees up to a dozen cases each summer (they present with 'colic' appearance - kicking at their bellies etc.)

It's more common in older geldings who tend to let it all hang out for a bit long - and of course in geldings with mucky bits! It probably happens more often without being noticed as unless there's a huge number of maggots, then there's plenty of 'food' for them in the smegma and they often don't eat deeply enough into the horse to make him more than a bit uncomfortable.

However, if you have a gelding that 'hangs down' a lot, it's worth checking regularly and cleaning the offending bits. If your geldinmg won't tolerate close-up clening, then squirting a hose up there after work helps to keep the build-up of muck down!
 
ester said:
suzysparkle maggots will I think eat dead tissue preferentially but will soon move onto healthy tissue which is why sheep/rabbits get blowfly strike which I guess is essentially what this gelding has.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about flystrike. I guess when they use them on people they remove the maggots before they start on the healthy tissue.
 
Hi All,

An update.

Have kept a close eye on him - and whilst he was letting it 'all hang out' during his mid day snooze in the field I crept over to have a closer inspection of it...

Whilst he had it all out on display I was able to have a good look at it, its nice and clean (prob went a bit overboard this morning) and I cant see any nasties on it - he has no sores or sore looking bits on it at all - so am leaving him to have a further look tomorrow (caked in fly spray round his bits - not in them before anyone says)

I have spoken to the vets and they suggested doing exactly what I have done - a good clean with warm water with hibiscrub in it - If I am concerned tomorrow they will come out and have a look tomorrow.

I will be having another close examination tomorrow and make a decision then.

For those who think I clean his bits too often - I do this under advice from my vet (more frequent during summer than winter) as the old chap (he is knocking on 30) seems to produce lots of smegma and his sheath will swell up if his wotsit is not lovely and clean bless him - last summer he had a very dirty willy before the fortnuightly regular cleaning and his wotsit and sheath were really swollen - cue visit from the vets, sedative so it hung free - and a jolly good scrub - within a few days it was back to normal so have adopted this cleaning regime ever since and never had a problem until today!

YUCKKKK - am still kinda freaked about it.
 
Gemsie said:
Hi All,

An update.

Have kept a close eye on him - and whilst he was letting it 'all hang out' during his mid day snooze in the field I crept over to have a closer inspection of it...

Whilst he had it all out on display I was able to have a good look at it, its nice and clean (prob went a bit overboard this morning) and I cant see any nasties on it - he has no sores or sore looking bits on it at all - so am leaving him to have a further look tomorrow (caked in fly spray round his bits - not in them before anyone says)
Click to expand...

Do you check there's no-one watching you first?
:D:D
 
My boy has maggots (rather had) in the same place, I found them last night and flushed the buggers out, hopefully thats the end of it but will keep a very open eye on that area from now on.......he is on 24/7 stable rest with a little inhand walking till end of july!!
 
:eek: Never knew this could happen!! My lad likes to hang his out alot especially when waiting for his tea???? The other liveries comment on how spotlessly clean it is (I've never cleaned it in the 7 years I've had him) but I most certainly will be checking it properly now. I'm guessing he's fine cos it's never dirty but knowing this can happen I'll be making double sure from now on. Uck.
 
My gelding needs his cleaned out on a regular basis, he produces a lot of smeg for some reason, i use sheath cleaner, warm water and half my arm! then I put the hose up it to rinse, yuk horrible job but someone has to do it hehehehehe xx
 
suzysparkle said:
I'm pretty sure maggots only eat rotten flesh not healthy tissue. They use them in medicine to clean festering wounds after all.......yuck!!
Click to expand...

Maggots eat ANY flesh - they're not fussy!! Maggots in the sheath is NOT that unusual - my vet sees half-a-dozen cases each year (they present as a mild colic with horse kicking at his belly, looking around at his flanks etc.)

IF there's enough smegma in the sheath the chances are they'll eat that before starting on the gelding's sensitive bits - but it is a REAL risk. I rant about it every time there's a willy-washing thread and someone inevitably says they don't need it!!:eek:

I've never had any real trouble cleaning a gelding - or stallion's sheath - and here's my tried and tested method for horses who are 'difficult'.

1. Have on hand a bucket of clean warm waterwith just a dash of sheath cleaner and a large, clean sponge (the car washing sponges are ideal.)

2. Turn on the hose and run the hose over and around the sheath until it's nice and cool (and horse has stopped kicking :D) While keeping the hose on the outside of the sheath as a distraction, shove warm soapy sponge up inside the sheath. Leave there for a few minutes to soften up the smegma.

3. If it comes out clean, great! Just hose up inside the sheath to rinse it. If it comes out minging, then wash the sponge clean and shove it up again. Repeat as necessary and always finish with a good rinse.

4. Once horse is happy with you doing this, only then is it time to go delving for the bean!
 
Our old TB has had this before now - he's a very 'dirty' horse, easily the dirtiest of ours as the others are pretty much self cleaning.

The vet gave him an injection of something that would make him taste vile to maggots and that, coupled with intensive cleaning, got shot of them. It was truly vile.

It's not uncommon.
 
My mini shettie has melanomas all around and up inside his sheath. It gets really mucky up there quite quickly, he gets black tar-like splodges around the inside of his hind legs where he's been kicking up at it, and breasts the electric fence posts until they bend, and walks over the top of them so they scratch his tum and bits!

I feel a bit like a milkmaid! Sit on my little stool, and rest my head against his flank! Really, I could do with being in an MOT pit with him straddled over it, would make things easier to see, though I guess I'd get an eyeful!!

He's never had maggots up there, but Rosie did, in her stomach wound 2 years ago. I flushed it and then had to lay down and retch!!!

When I told my vet how ill it had made me feel, he said: 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'!!! .... yeah, but what does trauma make you?!!! ;-)
 
My old boy had melanomas up inside his sheath and he got maggots in between them once. It totally freaked me out and I called the vet who sedated him and got them all out. After that I used to cover everything in Battles Fly Cream so he had bright yellow man bits! He was a bit of an old perve though and he used to love his daily sheath/willie massage and he would even lift up his back leg to give me better access!
 
JanetGeorge said:
I've never had any real trouble cleaning a gelding - or stallion's sheath - and here's my tried and tested method for horses who are 'difficult'.

1. Have on hand a bucket of clean warm waterwith just a dash of sheath cleaner and a large, clean sponge (the car washing sponges are ideal.)

2. Turn on the hose and run the hose over and around the sheath until it's nice and cool (and horse has stopped kicking :D) While keeping the hose on the outside of the sheath as a distraction, shove warm soapy sponge up inside the sheath. Leave there for a few minutes to soften up the smegma.

3. If it comes out clean, great! Just hose up inside the sheath to rinse it. If it comes out minging, then wash the sponge clean and shove it up again. Repeat as necessary and always finish with a good rinse.

4. Once horse is happy with you doing this, only then is it time to go delving for the bean!
Click to expand...

Happy Horse said:
He was a bit of an old perve though and he used to love his daily sheath/willie massage and he would even lift up his back leg to give me better access!
Click to expand...



I have been sitting here snorting with laughter and nearly spat my drink out!! However, note to self, must check lads bits tomorrow! They looked a bit grim today but he has a knack of hiding everything as soon as a sponge comes out! Will try the hose method tomorrow!!!
 
Ewww noo don't start on the bean!

g020.gif
 
When we get rabbits with flystrike in the vets or any animal come to that we use negasunt powder... can you not get some from your surgery and give it a good puff up there?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top